Find Me

Music is an important motif in Find Me. It is a means of communication and an identity. The medium is established as important throughout all four sections of the novel. Elio in particular is represented through his identity as a musician. He wants to be an artist and is moved by his individual pursuit of art. He meets Michel, a great love, at a chamber-music concert, and his ability to play complex classical music enables him to solve the mystery of Ariel Waldstein, a mystery that has long haunted Michel. Elio’s access to music develops into an access to history and story. He can also express himself through music in intimate ways.

All the lovers in this novel are attracted to one another through gestures and understandings that don’t require words; music also allows for an expression of emotion without words. Oliver is very tied to music as a romantic experience. When Paul plays the piano for him, he is transported back in time to his summer with Elio. Thus, music evokes a sense of memory in the listener that reminds them of what they have and what they’ve lost. Music is therefore an important motif in creating intimate dynamics between characters in this novel.